The Anatomy of MusicBee
MusicBee has a flexible interface, but is not completely modular. Here's the default view that you get on first installation. Follow the links to learn more about each piece. # # Navigation Panel # Now Playing Panel # # Main Panel The normal components of the main panel are: # # (optional, Track Browser shown) # Your # # (optional, not shown) Other things that can be shown in the main panel include visualizations, web pages, and embedded Theater Modes. Toolbar By default, the toolbar contains: MusicBee offers the ability to use multiple tabs. These work just like the navigation buttons in a browser: you can refresh a view or return to a previous one. This box will show what node or playlist you're viewing, including any active filters. MusicBee includes a web browser based on Firefox, so you can enter a URL here. Opens the . Provides basic and advanced search functionality for the library. Clicking on the spyglass provides search filter options, including the option of a “Custom” advanced search. Use the “X” to clear. The size can be altered using the thin drag handle to the left of the box. Custom Toolbar Buttons Configure Layout Menu The configure layout menu allows you to select how you want to view your library, show or hide a couple of handy navigation tools, and save layouts you've configured. *Show A-Z Jumpbar *Show Track Browser *Artwork *Album and Tracks *Track Detail *Custom Views * Navigation Tools Will allow you to jump to a particular letter in your library, according to whatever tag you have it sorted by. Right clicking on the jump bar you will give you the option to use multi-character searches (multiple letters clicked within a certain time period) or display the jump bar vertically instead of horizontally. The Track Browser will filter your library according to the tags you select. Library You have three basic options for viewing your library, which are explained in detail on their own pages: * Track Detail View * Album and Tracks View * Artwork View These are selected from the “Configure Layout” button to the left of the search box. Status Bar Provides context sensitive information. On the left-hand side, this shows the number of tracks (in an album, playlist, or selected etc.), the size in MB and the duration. Clicking this information changes the way the duration is displayed. During processes such as syncing with a device or organizing files, relevant information is displayed on the right-hand side, with an option to terminate it. Double clicking on this will often bring up a dialogue box with more details on the process. The main panel of MusicBee can display: *Your Library *Playing Track Panel *Visualizations *Embedded Theater Mode views *A web browser *More! You can have multiple center panel tabs for access to different views at the same time. The tabs can be in the caption bar, horizontal below the caption bar, or vertically to the left of the main panel. Right click on a tab and go to Configure Layout to change tabs orientation. Sidebars Right Sidebar ;Now Playing List Shows playing track in context of queued tracks. Playing order can be changed by dragging tracks (when sorting by play order). The right-click menu enables skipping tracks, shuffling the list and clearing the list before a certain track. The default view is a simple list (“Track Details”), but “Album and Tracks” view can alternatively be selected via the right-click > configure layout option. ;Track Details Panel Can display up to three tabs: Artwork Details Lyrics Furthermore, the right-panel can show a wavebar, a larger spectrum visualisation and player controls (as well as or instead of the controls in the Player Control Panel). Left Sidebar Player In the left panel. Displays the fundamental categories of your music interests: Library The most fundamental division of your collection. Although multiple libraries are possible, most common divisions are handled by library filters, or these categories: Music Podcasts Audiobooks Radio Inbox History A file cannot occupy more than one of these categories at once, except for History. These are therefore exclusive categories Bookmarks and Video are also available to add from Preferences Playlists These can contain files from any of the above categories, so are not just subcategories of your music. There are three types of playlists: Playlists These are static, so the user adds and removes tracks at will Auto-Playlists These are dynamic, so automatically update their contents based upon their rules. Playlist Mixers (formerly “Radio Playlists”) These are also dynamic. Mixers produce playlists with a rule-based cyclical pattern, but tracks meeting your rules’ criteria are otherwise random. Internet Website bookmarks. The two default folders for these are “Services” and “MP3 Blogs”, but you can add any website by bookmarking using the icon at right-hand end of the address bar. You add, remove and rename bookmark folders using the right-click menu Computer A tree navigator for your computer’s folders and files. Can also contain network shares. These folders can be filtered via the right-click menu. Devices Only visible if a device is connected. Allows browsing of MTP and MSC devices, including playlists, podcasts and audiobooks. Library Explorer Panel Allows browsing of the library in the form of a tree navigator. Supplemental to main panel. Has the option of adding and removing tabs for different methods of browsing. Player Control Panel Contains playback controls such as play/pause, volume, shuffle, and repeat. Displays track details and progress bar. Can be positioned at the top (below the Menu Bar), bottom or in the right panel. Its layout can be simplified using a “flat layout” and its features augmented with spectrum visualization and track rating, all available under “Layout (2)” in Preferences. Menu bar Can be positioned in the Caption Bar, below it, or as a single “MusicBee” button on it to the left. Main Panel ToolButton Bar Titles the current focus of the main panel and allows navigation. The title is the same as the current tab if multiple tabs are open. New Tab, Back, Forward and Refresh buttons allow browser-like functionality. If the left panel is fixed out (default), the shown title is clickable and can be edited to access web addresses, local addresses (e.g. C:\Music) and some categories (such as Music). If the left panel is set to auto-hide, an ellipsis button must be clicked to edit the location. To its right (and to the left of the search box), custom buttons are situated, if set. Tabs Allows multiple, tabbed instances of the main panel. To open a new tab, click the New Tab button on the Main Panel ToolButton Bar. The location can be below the Main Panel ToolButton Bar, in the Caption Bar, or stacked vertically to the left. Tab titles can be edited and tabs can be locked via the right-click menu. Locking a tab prevents it from being accidentally closed, but does not restrict navigation within the tab. A-Z Jump Bar Allows navigation depending upon how content is sorted in the main panel. Can be positioned horizontally or vertically, and allows multi-character searches via the right-click menu. Track Browser Allows up to 6 columns for narrowing down browsing in the main panel. Each column sorts by a tag, and narrows down increasingly from left to right. Several items can be concurrently selected using Ctrl-Click. Can be positioned horizontally, vertically (stacked) and vertically (side-by-side). ---- MusicBee has many (many, many, many) layout options - so many they can be mysterious even to an experienced user. This is an attempt to outline all the options for you. Other Panels There are small panels available on either side of the main panel. These can be hidden or retrieved via the arrow buttons in the bottom corners of MusicBee. By default, if you move your mouse to the edge of the screen while a side panel is hidden, it will pop up. You can disable this behavior by right clicking at the top of the pop-up and checking Disable Auto-Open. Left Sidebar The left sidebar is primarily for navigation. You can choose what nodes and subnodes you want to display via Layout Preferences. If MusicBee detects a device to sync, the Devices node will appear automatically. There are several optional components that you can display in the left sidebar: *Library Explorer: opened with the vertical show/hide button at the bottom of the panel, or by right clicking in the left sidebar. *Artwork: you can choose to display album art or artist photos by right clicking in the left sidebar. *Now Playing list: the now playing list can be moved to the left sidebar by itself, separate from the rest of the Now Playing panel. See the Now Playing panel settings for how. *Now Playing Panel: you can choose to move the whole Now Playing panel (see below) to the left sidebar. This disables the other left sidebar options, except for Library Explorer. Right Sidebar The right sidebar is primarily for displaying information about playing or selected tracks. Right sidebar components include: *Now Playing list *Track Details *Album Art *Lyrics *Player *Wavebar *Spectrum Visualization The right sidebar can also be converted into a floating window (essentially the same as the Compact Player). Right click at the very top of the panel, choose Panel Dock, and then Show in Floating Window. This is also where you can choose to move the info to the left sidebar. Bottom Panels The default layout does not have any bottom panels. There are three things that can be in a bottom panel, each of which also has another possible location: *The Playing Track Panel: to activate it, go to Preferences > Layout (1) and check the boxes for "show playing track panel" and "show on the bottom pane." Once activated, it will have a show/hide button just like the right and left panels. (The alternate location for this is in its own tab.) *Now Playing list: in addition to right or left sidebar, the Now Playing list (not panel) can be here. *Tag Editor: The tag editor can be displayed as a bottom panel instead of a floating window. If all three of these are present, they will be displayed from top to bottom as: *Tag Editor *Now Playing List *Playing Track Panel The Player The player can be displayed at the top or the bottom of the MusicBee window and/or in either of the sidebars. To relocate the player, right click on top of it and go to Customize Layout, then choose your preferred 'Display in...' option. If the player is at the top or bottom of the window and you also turn it on via the right sidebar "Customize Panel Settings" option, you will have two players. Menus By default, MusicBee's program menus are accessed through the MusicBee button at the top left. If you prefer a traditional menu layout, go to Layout Preferences. You can choose to display the menus in the caption bar or just below it. (Note that in order to put tabs in the caption bar, the menus MUST be behind the button.) The Bee logo contains another menu with commonly used entries from other menus, to save you a few clicks. Category:Customization Category:Guides